


Birds On A Wire

by KahtyaSofia



Category: Torchwood
Genre: Backstory, M/M, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-11-25
Updated: 2009-11-25
Packaged: 2017-10-03 18:00:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,638
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20804
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KahtyaSofia/pseuds/KahtyaSofia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>tw_exchange prompt "Ianto's first few weeks at T3 - Jack isn't quite sure what to do with him now that he has him and Ianto isn't quite sure how to do what he needs to do and not lose Jack's trust."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Birds On A Wire

**Author's Note:**

> Un beta'd, all errors are my own. Thank to you corchfalas and chainedphoenix for their read throughs that catch OOC and inconsistencies. They are beloved as always. I didn't used to think Jack and Ianto got up to hygynx before Cyberwoman but Fragments changed my mind. I don't usually like to change POV in the middle of a story but this is an experiment for me. If you're familiar with my journal you'll see there is a change in style both in the way I wrote this, the alternating POV and the distinct lack of kink and swearing. It's still erotic, though.

Jack had hired Ianto Jones in a moment of lust and disbelief and, if he were honest, ego. The young man's pursuit of Jack had been flattering, even as he'd told himself nothing could come of it. All that youth and beauty and determination had London written all over it and Jack wanted as far away as possible.

Then, Ianto had told him about the Pterodactyl. Jack couldn't really be expected to walk away from youth, beauty and a flying dinosaur, could he? It didn't help that Ianto had proven to be smart, brave and funny. No matter how Jack looked at it, Ianto Jones was a triple threat and he really should have walked away. He would have if it hadn't been for the indefinable something that lurked just behind Ianto's eyes.

It had all been flirtation and innuendo until Ianto lay atop Jack, pressed to his groin and breath heavy against his cheek. In that instant Jack knew they would be electric together. And then Ianto had abruptly severed the connection. No one ever walked away from Jack after he'd given them his full attention, made his interest known. If there had been one thing that could peak Jack's interest, it would be to walk away.

In that moment of curiosity and lust, Jack had done the only thing he could think of to swing the balance of power back into his own favor; he'd offered Ianto the job he so desperately wanted. The mystery deepened when Jack was sure he saw Ianto's already stiff back go more rigid. He had nodded his assent yet continued to walk away.

~*~

Ianto had not counted on genuinely liking Captain Jack Harkness. His looks and his charm lived up to his reputation. His few observations of the Captain in action had made him think he wouldn't have any difficulty at all getting and keeping Jack's attention. It was evident from the start that he'd miscalculated in letting the London connection slip. Jack had shut down on him in that moment and Ianto cursed himself. Still, he was too desperate to give up easily and had called out his appreciation of the Captain's greatcoat.

When he confronted Jack the second time he'd thought to pave his way with coffee. The Captain had seemed impressed but not that impressed. Ianto knew he was pushing his luck with Jack when he'd physically put out a hand to restrain the older man. When he didn't end up on his ass he felt emboldened and continued to press his case. Ianto talked fast and tried anything his taxed mind could think of to draw Jack in. It still hadn't worked and as Ianto once again watched Jack's back recede into the distance, all he could think to do was comment on the coat again.

Finally, when club kid hadn't worked and casual Uni kid hadn't worked, Ianto dragged out the suit and tracked down a pterodactyl for good measure. By now Ianto was truly desperate. He knew he had to get Lisa into Torchwood Three but at the same time, he sort of liked flirting with Jack. When he'd flirted back that night over the Weevil, Ianto had actually enjoyed it. It was either three strikes you're out or third time's a charm when he stepped in front of the speeding SUV.

By the time he'd dragged himself out of that warehouse, Ianto had realized his trap had snapped backward and he'd snared himself. Jack was funny, bold, brave, resourceful, outrageous, damn good looking and he smelled delicious! The Captain was the last person Ianto had wanted to pull a fast one on, but this was for Lisa. It was all for Lisa, he had to keep telling himself that.

Ianto had damned near forgotten Lisa altogether as he'd lain atop Jack's firm body, their groins pressed together and the mutual interest very evident. He caught himself breathing heavily as he stared into Jack's startlingly blue eyes and knew in that moment he had to get up and get out or something very unexpected was going to further complicate an already complex situation. Ianto needed to help Lisa but this man he had just met didn't deserve the deception he would have to perpetrate to do it. He'd headed for the warehouse door, choking back tears, feeling he'd failed Lisa miserably and wondering if that was really so bad after all when Jack's voice had echoed behind him.

He'd gotten the job. A nod of assent was all he could manage, fearing any words would give away his tears. In spite of the fact he had what he had set out to get, Ianto hated himself in that moment.

~*~

Jack had known it was a mistake the moment he'd seen Suzie's and Owen's faces. They knew why Jack had hired Ianto. If Toshiko had her own suspicions she kept them to herself and welcomed Ianto coolly. Cool receptions were typical for Tosh so Jack didn't worry on that front. Still, Ianto was here and what was more, Jack wanted him here. Jack wanted him. Given Ianto's last minute skittishness in the warehouse, Jack was hoping proximity would breed familiarity. Or at least give him a chance to wear down Ianto's defenses.

Ianto settled himself into the hub and into their daily routines. Suddenly, Jack knew exactly when he had calls to take or place with government officials. He was no longer caught scrambling and unprepared. Coffee was delivered at regular intervals, as Ianto finally figured out how to work that damn coffee maker! Food magically appeared so that none of them starved for lack of time to run out and pick something up. Before Ianto, they hadn't even had enough time to call for a delivery.

One morning Jack emerged from his quarters in a shirt that really had seen better days. Ianto tutted at him disapprovingly and ordered him (ordered him!) back down to collect everything that needed laundered or dry cleaned. Jack found he rather liked the bossy side of Ianto, he felt his prick stir at the stern look he received. What's more, he hadn't been short of shirts since. It wasn't long after that Ianto was clambering down the ladder himself to sort things to his own satisfaction. For the first time in a long time, Jack found his mind free from the worries of the more mundane aspects of life. It all made running Torchwood so much easier.

It also left him free to fantasize about Ianto Jones. Jack was going to get to the bottom of whatever it was the floated just behind Ianto's eyes. It would prove to be an entertaining distraction while he waited for the Doctor.

~*~

The morning of his first day when he was introduced to the team he made three immediate judgments. Toshiko was quiet and demure and Ianto suspected that under other circumstances they could have become friends. He couldn't afford friends in Cardiff, though. No one could be allowed close enough to him to detect his secret.

Dr. Owen Harper was hardly worth a second look by Ianto. He was a sour, bitter soul who didn't take well to change and Ianto's presence meant change. That hostility was sure to fade. His sarcastic mutterings about Jack hiring Ianto because he wanted to shag him went largely unacknowledged and Ianto wasn't about to disabuse anyone of that belief. Keeping the Captain distracted by hook or by crook was critical to his mission.

However, the moment he'd been introduced to Suzie Costello, Ianto knew she was the greatest threat of all to Lisa and to him. She was suspicious of Ianto. It wasn't because she had any grounds to suspect him of anything, but because she herself was hiding something. Ianto realized the only way he was going to outlast Suzie was to figure out what her secret was while guarding his own.

He'd failed to figure her out before it was too late, but he had kept his own secret hidden from her. They had made one another miserable for months, though, before Suzie had finally imploded.

Ianto went about cutting out a niche for himself in Torchwood Three that revolved around Captain Jack Harkness. He organized Jack's calendar and made sure the Captain was prepared for his calls to and from government officials. He had no idea why the team was drinking the swill they called coffee so he put that to rights almost immediately. They had a great coffee machine, why weren't they using it? Since he would be making and delivering coffee to Jack it just made sense to deliver some to the entire team. Ianto figured it was the same with the food. Protecting Cardiff from the ravages of the rift was hard work and Jack needed to be fed well in order to do it. So, since Ianto was seeing to it that his Captain ate, he might as well make sure the Captain's team ate as well.

To Ianto's way of thinking, Jack could have used his help years ago. He was beside himself when the Captain climbed out of his quarters one morning in a well-worn and filthy shirt. There was no excuse for this kind of appearance now that Ianto was in charge of the minutiae of Jack's day-to-day life so he politely asked the Captain the return below and retrieve anything and everything he needed cleaned and laundered. Jack gave Ianto a strange look as he turned to climb back down the ladder but Ianto chose to ignore it.

It wasn't long before Ianto had Jack in a routine that kept him in clean, presentable shirts. It soon became evident that it was just going to be easier for Ianto to clamber down into Jack's quarters himself to sort what needed to be sorted. Especially on days Jack was out of the hub from dusk until dawn on one mission or another.

~*~

In no time at all, the others seemed to come around to Jack's way of thinking when it came to Ianto. Jack really should have thought more about the implications of Suzie arbitrarily putting Ianto in charge of the morgue and death scene cleanup. It hardly registered with him when Owen stopped cleaning the vaults because it seemed a natural extension of Ianto's care for the new Pterodactyl. All he heard were the happy noises of a team that no longer had to pack their own kit, there was no longer a need for a rota for washing the SUV, meals and coffee miraculously appeared when they were most desperately needed. So good at caring for others was Ianto, even Jack didn't notice when they all began to take him for granted.

It wasn't that Jack ever overlooked Ianto. On the contrary, he was acutely aware when the younger man was around. It was most likely that hyper-awareness that first brought Ianto's knack with computers to Jack's attention. Still, it increased Jack's reliance on Ianto without much reciprocation and that had to have worn on the younger man. It pleased Jack greatly that he didn't have to invent excuses to work closely with Ianto on projects.

Jack didn't have to make up excuses for them to work together but he did anyway, just to keep Ianto around him for as long as possible. In just a matter of days, the deserted hub that used to be his refuge began to feel empty, desolate and lonelier than it had in so long, Jack couldn't remember. In the darkest hours of the morning he found he was simply marking time until Ianto's return to work.

The air was supercharged when they worked together on whatever it was Jack found for Ianto to help with. Jack's lust was palpable between them and he didn't hesitate to place lingering touches on Ianto's arm, shoulder, back and when possible, his thigh. Ianto's reactions encouraged Jack. He never flinched, never moved away and from time to time, even touched Jack in return.

One day, Ianto would say that none of them cared about him as a person; they cared only for what he could do for them. This was after he learned what it was that lurked behind Ianto's eyes. Anyway, Jack couldn't speak for the others but as for himself, he found he'd come to care too much for Ianto as a person. So much so he avoided bringing up or letting Ianto speak of anything London. Not that Ianto volunteered anything personal at all. Still, he was right. No one had bothered to ask.

For his part, Jack avoided talk of Ianto's past because he didn't want to know anything at all about that deceased girlfriend. To Jack's way of thinking she was a specter that hung between them. The eight-hundred pound gorilla in the room. If she wasn't spoken of then she wasn't competition. Jack fancied he had a clear path to Ianto and no dead girlfriend was going to interfere. He decided that when he finally had Ianto Jones in his bed, all memories of the ex would be wiped away. Completely.

Secrets had been such a part of Jack's life for so many decades he'd come to guard them with a singular intensity. First his search and his wait for the Doctor and now his inability to die; Jack guarded his secrets zealously and feared that the asking of questions of others meant he would have to answer some himself.

~*~

As it turned out, keeping Jack distracted was one of the easier of Ianto's tasks. He could feel the Captain's eyes on him as he moved around the hub. Ianto could just sense when Jack was watching him and he didn't discourage it. That slight tingling sensation he felt on the back of his neck and the heavy feeling in the pit of his stomach had nothing to do with Jack's regard. Ianto did not fancy Jack. He did not fancy that Jack openly admired him as he worked. Ianto only encouraged Jack for the sake of Lisa, as a distraction. The spontaneous erections he kept experiencing had nothing to do with the sly smiles Jack flashed him when their eyes met. It was because he hadn't been touched in far too long. He missed Lisa, and that was all.

The first time Ianto went head-to-head with Suzie he ended up in charge of Torchwood's morgue and all the dead that had to do with their operations. Their victims, their accidents, their store of spare bodies to use for cover stories; it all became his responsibility. Even death scene clean up fell to him now. Jack hardly blinked at the shift in responsibility and Ianto didn't protest because it kept the conflict with Suzie under wraps. He couldn't afford to call attention to their mutual enmity until he understood what it as Suzie was hiding. Instead, Ianto forged a respectful way of dealing with the death that surrounded Torchwood Three. He'd seen so much of it already; he had nothing but compassion for those who had shuffled off this mortal coil. He was proud to take over this duty and Ianto knew that irked Suzie to no end.

It was Owen shirking his duties in the vaults with the Weevils that Ianto wasn't happy about. He really wished Jack had intervened and stopped Owen from being such a lazy git. Ianto didn't dare make an issue, though. That might have brought the wrong kind of attention to himself. Ianto just incorporated the Weevils into his routine with the Pterodactyl. He decided he'd get even with Owen somewhere down the road, when he least expected it.

So, Ianto settled himself into his new routine and made sure he took such good care of Jack and by extension his team that they wouldn't be able to get along without him. He just had to perform his duties so that no one noticed he was there. The less they thought about him, the less they'd question and the deeper he could bury his secret. And he had to keep this secret until he found a cure for Lisa. Each night when he closed his eyes and saw the flames and heard the screams he wondered why he hadn't died with the hundreds of others. He owed them and he owed Lisa. She was an innocent in all of this.

Ianto knew he might be invisible to the team but he was not invisible to Jack. In fact, the Captain watched Ianto so closely, he noticed that Ianto had a knack with computers. That led to another set of duties that brought him into close, constant contact with Jack. As closely as they worked together, Ianto still knew Jack didn't see him clearly. The Captain saw a quiet, efficient computer geek. Because he thought he had Ianto figured out, Jack never dug deeper into Ianto's life, or Ianto himself. He silently told himself this was what he wanted. He wanted Jack interested but not interested enough to dig any deeper than the surface. Sometimes he even believed his own lies.

~*~

Jack found he took at least one step a day closer to seducing Ianto. He felt he made the most progress during the time spent alone in one another's company. The air between them fairly sparkled so intense was their connection. They were two birds on a wire. They danced and circled; thrust and parried. Jack gradually stepped up the game and Ianto met him each step of the way. Jack loved this little game they were playing. He thrived on it.

If he hadn't been so preoccupied with his own pursuit of Ianto, he'd have been suspicious of how early the young man seemed to arrive and how late he stayed at night. His hours were often longer than the dedicated Suzie and the workaholic Toshiko. Instead of alarmed, Jack chose to be flattered. After all, he was the only one here during the extreme odd hours Ianto ghosted around, and he often seemed to be the focus of Ianto's attention. Coffee, breakfast, late supper, late coffee &amp; biscuits. It often seemed that Ianto chose these quiet hours to straighten up Jack's office. That was a sight that Jack very much appreciated, even if he failed to get much work done.

In fact, now that Jack thought about it, he realized he let some of his own usual military-ingrained tidiness slide just to increase the time Ianto had to spend neatening his office. By extension, it increased the number of hours Ianto spent in the hub. Jack didn't feel quite so alone with Ianto in the hub.

Jack basked in Ianto's attention. Before long, Ianto began to join Jack for coffee, a late supper, or late coffee &amp; biscuits. Being served and doted on by Ianto soon stopped being enough. With each passing day Jack wanted more and more to get close and inhale Ianto's scent, to taste him, to learn what would make him gasp and moan and do those things over and over and over.

Something still lingered behind Ianto's eyes but Jack chose to chalk it up to ghosts of Canary Wharf and an attempt to hide his attraction to his boss. Both things Jack fancied he could help Ianto overcome with the right words whispered and the right touches placed and some energetic late night distractions.

~*~

It was decidedly inconvenient, Ianto told himself, that Jack lived in the hub. Caring for Lisa around his duties at Torchwood meant long hours. He could only make it to her side late at night or early in the morning. Naturally, Jack assumed Ianto's hours were due to him, that Ianto was interested in him. Let him think that. It served Ianto's purposes. Jack's regard did make it hard to actually get to Lisa's room. Ianto had to come up with some creative ways to keep Jack from following him, from seeking Ianto out because he thought his attentions were wanted.

Ianto repeatedly told himself he didn't really want Jack's attention. Late night meals and coffee and chats with Jack, or even early breakfast and coffee and a chat were to keep Jack distracted, not because Ianto enjoyed the Captain's company. He couldn't enjoy Jack's company. He wouldn't do that to Lisa. Jack was a means to an end and Ianto couldn't possibly like the man.

Those projects Jack dreamed up for them to work on together served as a handy distraction. They allowed Ianto to lead Jack around by the nose. He could guide the Captain right into focusing on Ianto and only Ianto. The excitement in the air was all on Jack's side. The soft touches Jack placed on him meant nothing to him, he told himself. They only meant that he had Jack's attention. Ianto didn't move away from Jack's touches because he needed the Captain to remain interested. This intense attraction was one sided only. He told himself this day after day hoping one day he'd believe it himself.

Ianto told himself that it was an accident when he touched Jack back. He hadn't meant to do it, not really. He wasn't at all interested in what Jack felt like underneath his clothes. It didn't matter to him whatsoever that just the slightest brush of his hand on the outside of Jack's thigh brought a shudder to the Captain.

For all that Jack chatted with Ianto on a daily basis, he was willing to bet Jack didn't know a damn thing about him. Not for real. Ianto made a point of never giving away too much about himself but he began to resent that Jack never even tried to find anything out. They never spoke of London, they never spoke of Lisa, yet Ianto knew that Jack thought she'd died at Canary Wharf. They especially never spoke of Canary Wharf. Ianto would have loved to have someone to talk to about Lisa. Not Lisa secreted away in the sub-basement, but the beautiful, lively Lisa from before the battle. But Jack never asked. He obviously didn't want to know. The only value Ianto held for Jack was to clean up after him and the rest of the team. Well, that and what Ianto could potentially do for him sexually.

~*~

While he waited for the right moment to make his next move, Jack casually informed Ianto that since he'd be manning the tourist office he'd need to learn to use a gun. It was, after all, one of the entrances from the outside and could possibly be the site of a security breach. Ianto agreed readily. Perhaps Jack should have handled the training himself but since Suzie was their weapons expert, it made sense for her to instruct him. Ianto never spoke of what Suzie put him through but it was enough to prevent him from being interested in or proficient enough for further training. The fact that Ianto excelled once Jack took over his training pretty much told Jack what he needed to know about Suzie's and Ianto's relationship.

It wasn't long after that Jack grew impatient and crowded Ianto's space while he'd cleaned Jack's office. He approached slowly, quietly. Jack pressed his chest to Ianto's back, took a small step forward and grazed his hip against Ianto's arse cheek. He dipped his head slightly and exhaled near Ianto's ear, letting his warm breath ghost over Ianto's skin. Not only did Ianto not move away, he leaned back ever so slightly into Jack's body. They stood for several seconds, Jack's front pressed to Ianto's back. A shudder ran through Ianto's body and Jack took that as a good sign. He leaned down again and murmured nonsense just into Ianto's ear. Ianto replied on a sigh. It was a trivial conversation, their words less important than the sustained contact. Jack chuckled at something Ianto said, he couldn't even remember what it was, now. Then he stepped away and returned to his 'work'.

Ianto surprised Jack a few moments later by leaning over his shoulder to punch something into the computer. He felt Ianto's heat before he felt the touch. Jack felt Ianto's groin press against the back of his arm and stay there while they regarded the computer monitor together. Jack could feel the first stirrings of Ianto's erection and felt his own answering erection begin to grow. As abruptly as Ianto had moved up against him, he was gone.

Once Jack got over the shock of Ianto's body heat pressed against his back, he found he was amazed at how adept Ianto was with the computer. Jack's use of that skill only served to increase the amount of time the two of them spent in each other's company.

~*~

Ianto was thrilled when Jack brought up small arms training since he'd be manning the tourist office. He immediately changed his mind when Jack told him he wouldn't be conducting the training, but that Suzie would. She was the weapons expert, after all. Ianto never did learn much about weapons or how to use them; Suzie and he spent almost all of their range time fairly ripping one another apart. It was the closest he ever came to figuring out her secret. She was sure she was figuring Ianto out but she was off. Way off. Suzie finally admitted that she thought Ianto was all about Jack. Ianto let her go on thinking that. During the course of their spat she revealed, perhaps without realizing it, her small crush on Jack. A crush tempered with resentment and bitterness. Suzie Costello was angry and twisted, but even Ianto didn't know how badly until it was too late.

The confrontation with Suzie left Ianto's nerves frayed. He was on edge, he was feeling vulnerable and not a little resentful of what he was having to endure for Lisa. He would never admit that, though, to himself or anyone else. The trouble was that his frayed nerves left him vulnerable to Jack. When the Captain crowded Ianto later that night when they were both in his office, Ianto didn't evade. He stood his ground when he felt Jack pressing his chest into his back. He held steady when he felt Jack's hip graze along one arse cheek. He didn't panic and run away when Jack's breath drifted over his sensitive ear, but neither was he able to suppress the shudder that ran through his body. Ianto's edginess made him lean back into Jack, not his own desire. Later on, Ianto wouldn't be able to recall the whispered words they exchanged, pressed together in Jack's office. He would only remember the heat of Jack's body and how desperately good it felt.

Ianto felt bereft when Jack pulled away and returned to his desk. He found he needed that contact again. Oh, he didn't admit that to himself. Instead he convinced himself Jack deserved a little payback and Ianto was just the man to give it to him.

He stepped over behind Jack where he sat in his chair, facing the computer monitor. Without warning Ianto leaned over Jack's shoulder and pressed his pelvis into the other man's arm. He told himself the beginnings of the erection he had was due to the payback he was giving Jack, not due to the man himself. That's what he told himself anyway. He didn't even remember later what it was he'd shown Jack on the computer but whatever it was it had been impressive to Jack. Enough so that there were even more special projects they needed to work together on after that.

~*~

Jack wasn't sure when the first time was that Ianto handed him his holster and helped him on with his coat. It was natural for him to submit, he'd had dressers before. It was certainly never one of Ianto's mandated duties but like Jack's washing, just naturally seemed like something Ianto should do to keep Torchwood running smoothly and Jack on time.

Ianto took these opportunities to return Jack's subtle, flirtatious touches. His slender fingers grazed Jack's neck first as Ianto slid the coat up to seat it and then as he straightened the collar. It always made Jack smile to himself as he shuddered in response. He would feel his own breath catch in his throat and his heart rate would pick up. Jack never cared if Ianto sensed his responses, either. It could only serve to further his agenda. He had to admit, too, he enjoyed both the attention and the contact.

Jack decided that since Ianto was being so responsive, it was time to step up the game. He did so by letting his fingers linger against Ianto's as they exchanged his coffee mug. When Ianto didn't immediately pull away from each exchange, Jack began to let his gaze linger as he gave Ianto a slight smile. By now, Jack was in denial about seeing any kind of shadows in or around Ianto's eyes.

If that wasn't exciting enough for Jack, Ianto began to exhibit a biting wit. Jack loved the sarcasm almost as much as the touches and the smiles. Almost. Ianto's sarcasm could devastate or it could chide, or it could flirt. Whatever Ianto's intention, Jack found himself aroused whenever Ianto let loose with his snappy comments.

~*~

Of all of the duties Ianto carved out for himself at Torchwood Three, taking care of the Captain was probably the one he prided himself on the most. It went beyond the care, feeding and washing of the man. Ianto also took pride in helping Jack to take on the accoutrements of The Captain. It became so clear the first time the rift alarm had sounded and Jack had scrambled to respond. Ianto had calmly reached into the appropriate desk drawer and removed the holstered Webley. As Jack took it unquestioningly and strapped it to his belt, Ianto moved to the coat rack and took up the greatcoat. He held it out for Jack to slip into. It couldn't be helped that his fingers grazed the skin of Jack's neck as Ianto seated the coat, nor that his fingers brushed across the Captain's throat as he adjusted the collar. A jolt of electricity shot up his fingers and he felt an answering shudder run through Jack's tall frame.

Something shifted between them after that. When Ianto brought Jack his coffee, their hands would linger, touching when the mug was passed. Jack had never failed to make eye contact and now he was letting it linger just a moment longer. Each look was accompanied by a small, simple smile that was only for Ianto. Really, only for Ianto. Not just in that private moment when they touched each other, but always. That smile that only Ianto ever got to see. It began to unnerve him. When Ianto is unnerved he resorts to sarcasm as a defense. He resorts to sarcasm when he's flirting, too but that's a completely different matter.

Damn it if Jack didn't seem turned on every time Ianto got snide and sarcastic. He began to wonder if Jack was turned on by absolutely everything.

~*~

Given Suzie's and Owen's early hostility and Ianto's natural, quiet reserve Jack took extra care to keep their looks and touches and late night chats over coffee a secret. Because Jack was so good at misdirection, all around him assumed he wasn't capable of discretion. He allowed Ianto to see that his outrageous bluster was his discretion. Because all those around them saw Jack flirt shamelessly and heard his outlandish stories of sexual conquest, they failed to see that his sole interest in those days was right amongst them. Perhaps he wasn't the only one in denial in those days. Perhaps they all chose to see the verbal banter between Jack and Ianto as casual and innocent. Yeah, right.

~*~

Ianto also realized Jack's outrageous stories and larger than life persona were camouflage. Plain and simple, Jack distracted the world from knowing the real person by giving them a show. Ianto watched over and over as Jack hid their private flirtations from the team with the sheer force of his personality. He began to follow Jack's lead and utilize his own humor and wit to further cloud the issue. It got to be rather fun.

It didn't take long before Ianto was looking forward to his time with Jack. The Captain's company was a soothing balm to his exhausted body and his frazzled nerves. Caring for Lisa on top of his growing duties at Torchwood began to take its toll on Ianto's body and nerves in a very short period of time. The more active the rift, the harder it became for him to manage. In a matter of a few short weeks, he began to wish he didn't have to sneak away from Jack to tend to Lisa. He wished he didn't have to sneak around Jack at all. Still, he had an obligation and he was going to honor it.

~*~

In retrospect, Jack had to admit that that night he might have taken advantage of Ianto's exhaustion. The rift had been particularly active and they had all been working long, hard hours. One particular evening Ianto had wandered into Jack's office looking as dapper as ever, but just a little more haunted. He seemed to move a little slower. His shoulders seemed to hunch into his suit jacket. Jack realized that it must take a toll on Ianto to keep them up and running at full tilt. The harder they worked cleaning up after the rift, the harder Ianto worked cleaning up after them.

Jack was genuinely concerned for Ianto's well being. He truly did want to lend comfort. The trouble was, somewhere between the entreaty in Ianto's tired eyes, his smooth, pale skin and the broadness of his accent in his exhaustion, Jack's best intentions fell by the wayside. He found himself running his hands over Ianto's arms, down his stiff back, then back up to grasp his face. Ianto resisted not at all as Jack turned his face up and pressed their lips together. All thoughts of providing concerned support fled and Jack was overwhelmed by a wave of desire and a need to possess.

Ianto responded to each of Jack's advances. He parted his lips when Jack dragged his tongue softy across them. Ianto leaned in when Jack gently pulled their bodies together. He ground his hips against Jack's pelvis in response to Jack's own movements. When Jack groaned, Ianto answered with a soft moan. Jack found he just could not get enough of the young man's mouth and that led him to needing other things just as desperately. Ianto followed without hesitation when Jack steered him toward his quarters.

Jack thought to unwrap Ianto from his clothing slowly, to savor each long awaited moment. Ianto had ideas of his own and soon they were grasping at each other and hastily removing clothes. He'd expected to spend their time worshipping Ianto's body but was pleased to receive some enthusiastic attention himself.

He wasn't sure how he finally got there and he wasn't sure if he'd ever manage to get there again, so Jack made the most of each moment he was able to roll around in his bed with Ianto. When Jack thought he could stand it no more, he laid himself between Ianto's thighs and whispered into the young man's ear how badly he wanted to be inside of him. Ianto shivered beneath Jack and whispered his assent.

Jack quickly but awkwardly retrieved the bottle from the bedside table. He cracked the unbroken seal on the new bottle of lube he had secreted in his quarters in the hopes of being right were he was that very moment. He hastily slicked himself with the lube, being generous with the gel, then lined himself up with a shaking hand.

The tightness, the heat of Ianto's body exceeded Jack's fantasies. It felt so perfect when he sheathed himself all the way to the hilt. Jack struggled for control. As he lay pressed tightly against Ianto, trying to catch his breath, his eyes locked on those of the man beneath him. That hidden something was still there, shifting around in Ianto's gaze but more importantly, Jack saw passion, pleasure and an eagerness that caused his heart to stutter.

Lowering his head slightly, Jack took Ianto's lips in a tender kiss and began to move. Together they thrust and pulsed, kissed and caressed. Jack's heart was pounding in his ears and his blood thrummed through his veins. Over all this he became aware of the gasps and groans that filled the room and realized they were his as well as Ianto's.

Jack propped himself on an elbow and reached between their bodies to grasp Ianto's erection and begin to stroke. It took no time at all to bring Ianto over, clutching and gasping against Jack. As he calmed, Jack drew his body closer to his own and began to move again. Quickly, he felt his rhythm falter and before long, he was coming deep inside of Ianto.

It had been a long time since Jack had had to work so hard or wait so long to take a lover but in this case, the wait had been worth it. When Ianto had moved to leave his bed, Jack had pulled him back down beside him for the night.

~*~

It was the week that the rift was as active as Jack said he had ever seen it. The team was going almost twenty four hours for several days in a row. Keeping them and Lisa in good shape exhausted Ianto. Physically and emotionally he was on his last leg. He walked into Jack's office that night, moving slowly in his exhaustion, to see if Jack needed coffee. The reception he received from Jack was new and stunning. When he looked up and saw Ianto, Jack immediately came around his desk and reached out.

The compassion in Jack's eyes nearly brought the truth pouring from Ianto. He suddenly wanted to end the charade. Ianto didn't want to go on betraying Jack. Guilt washed over him. Guilt over his own thoughts and how they were a betrayal of Lisa and all those who had died in London. Ianto kept his silence.

Ianto stood pliant before Jack as he ran his hands over Ianto's arms, down his back and then suddenly clasped his face. Ianto really should have pulled back. He just couldn't muster the energy. He should have protested when Jack brought their lips together in a kiss. He found he didn't want to. Jack drew his tongue along Ianto's lips and he opened them willingly. Ianto felt Jack's hands on his hips and when their groins met, Ianto ground himself against the other man and was shocked at his own behavior. This was his boss he was kissing so deeply. This was Jack, the man who would destroy Lisa if he ever found out about her. Lisa. Ianto hadn't thought of Lisa since he'd walked into Jack's office and he was ashamed. The thought of Lisa strapped to the conversion unit in the basement below almost had Ianto pulling away from Jack, but then he heard the other man groan, felt the sound vibrate into his mouth. Ianto moaned into Jack's mouth in answer. All thoughts of calling a halt to this insanity fled when Jack deepened their kiss. Ianto felt as though Jack was trying to possess him. He had all of Jack's attention in that moment and Ianto found he relished it.

When Jack moved them toward the entrance to his quarters, Ianto didn't even consider protesting.

Once below, Ianto knew there was no turning back so he committed himself fully to what he knew Jack was going to do with him. What they were about to do together. Ianto needed skin. He suddenly needed to see and touch skin. He needed to feel Jack's heat pressed against his own body. Ianto pulled and tugged at Jack's clothing to get it off as quickly as possible. Jack cooperated wonderfully, tugging at Ianto's clothing just as desperately.

Ianto wanted to touch and taste Jack as much as Jack seemed to want to touch and taste him. They took turns with each other. Each got to explore for awhile before the other took over. Ianto had no intention of letting Jack do all the work. He wanted to be a full participant, and not just lay back and receive the attention. It didn't seem fair and it certainly wouldn't entice Jack into a second time…not that Ianto intended to do this a second time.

Jack pressed Ianto onto his back and settled himself between his thighs. Ianto watched as Jack leaned down and pressed his warm lips to his ear and whispered. Ianto felt a shiver run through his body as he listened to Jack Harkness tell him how badly he wanted to be inside of him. It had been a very long time since anyone had seemed to want Ianto quite this much. There was no question in his mind when he whispered to Jack, yes. Yes, please.

Ianto watched impatiently as Jack retrieved a previously unopened bottle of lube. That fact barely registered with Ianto. He'd consider the implications of that later, right at that moment he just wanted Jack inside of him. Ianto felt his heart rate pick up speed as Jack slicked his erection with the lube. He thought maybe Jack's hand was trembling slightly as he lined himself with Ianto's opening, but that couldn't be right. Jack couldn't be trembling because of him, could he?

Ianto gasped when Jack sheathed himself entirely in one strong thrust. He felt filled and stretched and complete. Jack lay pressed against him, breathing heavily, eyes never leaving Ianto's. He was trapped by Jack's gaze, he'd never felt anything so intense in his life and he did his best to keep himself shuttered away from the man above him. He thought he succeeded. Mostly. Jack dipped his head and kissed Ianto tenderly and then began to move.

Jack thrust himself into Ianto over and over. Ianto pressed himself up to meet Jack's motions. Their hands were all over one another, caressing and touching gently. Jack kissed Ianto frequently. It was easy to forget how delicious it was to kiss and be kissed so thoroughly and so frequently. Jack reminded Ianto with each brush of his tongue. The room was filled with their mutual moans and gasps of sheer pleasure.

Ianto felt Jack shift and prop himself on an elbow. He reached between their bodies with his other hand. Ianto's entire body clenched when he felt Jack wrap his fingers around his pulsing erection and begin to stroke. Ianto couldn't help but pull Jack closer to him as he came. His fingers clenched at Jack's shoulders and Ianto clung to him as he came. As he felt himself coming down, Jack began to move again. He gasped in Ianto's ear and spilled his climax inside of him.

He couldn't remember the last time he felt quite so relaxed, he knew only that it had been well before Canary Wharf. Jack had done this for him. They lay together in the afterglow and there was none of the awkwardness Ianto had anticipated. Their silence was companionable. Ianto told himself it was only because it had been so long for him. He had just needed touch. Affection. He didn't fancy Jack. Not really. He loved Lisa but, until she was cured, there was no way for her to touch him. It's what he told himself, anyway.

Suddenly very aware that he lay naked in Jack's bed, an equally naked Jack beside him, Ianto rose to leave. Certainly Jack would not want him to linger. He was not the spooning sort. So, Ianto was more than a little surprised to find Jack's arm wrap around his waist to haul him backward into the bed. He was so surprised he didn't resist, but let Jack press their bodies together once again. Ianto thought to just lay there for a short while but Jack's body against his was so warm and firm, he drifted to sleep in no time. Jack held him fast for the duration of the night.

~*~

Their second time together had been at Jack's instigation as well. They had spent several days dancing around one another once again. Sly looks and private smiles exchanged when no one else could see. Jack noticed that now that the ice had been broken, Ianto held his gaze just a little bit longer and offered a smile first, before Jack had mustered his own. The only outward sign of the tension between them was the continuing verbal banter that was all sexual innuendo.

This silent tango they danced with each other daily served to excite Jack more than he had been before their tryst. There was something about Ianto that made Jack think of icebergs and he wanted to explore what was below the surface of the water.

That night when Ianto brought Jack his late night coffee, Jack took the mug in one hand and grasped Ianto behind the neck with the other. He was lucky the coffee found its way to the desk since he was kissing Ianto breathless before he'd completely set it down. A moment's surprised hesitation from Ianto was quickly replaced by grasping hands and clinging bodies.

That was all the encouragement Jack needed. He grasped Ianto by the tie and more or less dragged him below. Their second time together was electrifying. Gone was the hesitancy borne of a lack of knowledge of a lover. It was replaced with the surety of following a familiar path. Ianto followed Jack readily when he lay them down side by side, Ianto's back to Jack's chest and entered him slowly. Ianto's responsiveness and the looks that passed over his features as Jack worked himself in and out made the second time more exquisite than the first.

Jack reached between Ianto's thighs to stroke him off, then followed quickly himself, emptying himself into Ianto's tight heat. This time he anticipated Ianto and when he moved to leave, Jack already had an arm around his waist, securing their bodies together in the disheveled bed. Yes, Ianto Jones was certainly become a very satisfying distraction from Jack's wait for the Doctor. His beauty and his humor certainly broke the tedium until he got the hell off this planet for good.

~*~

The confusion and the awkwardness Ianto had expected the next morning never materialized. In fact, their covert glances and private smiles seemed to grow more frequent and last just seconds longer than before. It was as if the sex had been a bonding experience for them both instead of distancing one. Ianto felt both comfortable in Jack's presence now, as well as emboldened enough to escalate the sexual-tension-laced banter that had become uniquely their own.

Still, Jack never asked Ianto a thing about himself. Nothing that really mattered. No one on the team showed any interest in Ianto as a person. They just drank his coffee and created messes for him to clean. They weren't unlike Lisa in their expectations, but at least she had a good excuse.

It was just days after the first time, that Jack pounced on Ianto again. He'd been bringing Jack his coffee when Jack took and discarded the mug in favor of pulling Ianto in for a searing kiss. Jack had caught him off guard but Ianto recovered quickly and returned the kiss with equal enthusiasm. He couldn't get enough of running his hands over Jack's body, pulling them together as the kiss went on and on.

Jack's tug on his tie had Ianto following him without a second thought. Their joining this time was slower and frighteningly intense. They had knowledge of one another this time and it made them comfortable and confident instead of hesitant. Ianto lay as Jack positioned him with his back to Jack's chest. He let Jack hold him and enter him slowly and the sensation was exquisite. Ianto felt when Jack reached between his thighs to stroke his erection and bring him to completion. He felt Jack following him soon after.

This time Jack was ready for him when Ianto moved to leave the bed. He felt himself pulled down again and back against Jack's body. They spent another night twined in one another.

~*~

Their third time together knocked Jack backward several steps. He looked up one evening to find a haunted looking Ianto standing in the doorway to his office. Jack stood and came around his desk to inquire about what had Ianto so distressed when the other man was suddenly on his knees in front of him. Rational thought fled Jack as he felt Ianto's hands begin to work at his flies and draw out his rapidly growing erection. He'd felt the wet heat of Ianto's beautiful mouth before but to have it envelope his member so suddenly and so unexpectedly had Jack near to coming in seconds.

Quick and dirty seemed to be Ianto's need that night. He worked Jack's erection with a single-minded determination. It seemed as if he were trying to bring Jack quickly. He stared down at Ianto's lovely face, lips wrapped around his erection and sucking greedily. He stroked Ianto's cheek with one hand and cradled the back of head with the other. Jack came hard and fast in spite of his best intentions. Ianto left him no time to catch his breath before he felt himself pressed up against his own desk, Ianto's heat tight against his back.

Jack felt his trousers hit the floor just seconds before Ianto's spit-slicked finger made its way inside of him. Jack was never one to shrink from a down and dirty fuck but with Ianto it just didn't seem right. He stopped Ianto briefly while fumbling in his desk drawer for the unopened bottle of lube he'd secreted away here in the event he got lucky over his desk.

Ianto was liberal with the lube, which wasn't necessary, but Jack appreciated in any case. He'd known Ianto would be able to satisfy him when they finally got around to doing things this way but the reality was better than anything he could have anticipated. He surprised himself with is own lusty groan at being filled. As good as it felt, he would rather have been face to face with Ianto. Jack would really rather have watched Ianto's face as he worked himself in and out of Jack's body.

After a few thrusts he felt himself bent forward over the desktop by Ianto's hand between his shoulders. He knew when a man was trying to flee his demons through sex, he did it often enough himself. Jack made a mental note to talk with Ianto when they were done, but all thoughts of that fled when Ianto changed his angle and Jack saw stars.

He took what Ianto gave and could have taken more but all too soon Ianto heaved his orgasm inside of Jack's body. Jack would have taken Ianto below for a second round but before he had himself tucked away and zipped, the other man had made it to the cog door and fled into the night. It should have sent off warning bells in Jack's head but he was too sated, if feeling a little bereft at the lack of Ianto's company. And yet, he was looking forward to the next time a little more than he should.

~*~

Ianto didn't like to think about their third time together. It was so unlike the previous two and not a positive experience by any means. He'd used Jack. He'd thrown the other man's body around and used it in a most selfish way. Lisa had pushed him that day. She'd been more demanding than usual, wanting to know when Ianto was going to get them help to cure her. She was in pain and insisting Ianto not leave her side. He wanted so badly to shut off her life support and leave her in darkness to be discovered decades later. Those thoughts immediately filled him with guilt and remorse. Lisa couldn't help her condition or the pain she was in. He was lucky to still have her, even in this form. So many had died in the Battle. So many had died but Ianto had not been one of them so the very least he could do for the partially converted woman he'd loved was to care for her in any way she required, no matter the personal cost to himself.

By the time Ianto had freed himself from Lisa he'd been so near to exhaustion his mind was near shut down but his feet were on autopilot. Jack. The single remaining thought in his overtaxed brain had been of Jack. Why Ianto thought to seek comfort from Jack, he couldn't remember. He just knew that in Jack's presence he'd find relief.

Ianto stepped into Jack's office and found he didn't know what to say. Jack stood immediately and had come around his desk, a look of concern on his handsome features. Ianto didn't want to answer questions. He feared any kindness on Jack's part would have him dissolving into tears. Ianto forestalled Jack's questions the only way he could think of. He dropped to his knees.

He'd wrapped his lips around Jack's generous length before. He already knew the taste, the texture and the scent of him. Ianto didn't waste time getting reacquainted with Jack's body, he just sucked him with the intention of making him come. He felt Jack's hands touching him. One hand caressed Ianto's cheek, the other cradled the back of his head. Ianto worked his mouth up and down Jack's erection, ripping moans and growls from Jack with each drag of his tongue. He was rewarded with Jack's come shooting down his throat and he swallowed him greedily.

Ianto was still in no mood to talk, to answer questions about his uncharacteristic behavior. He rose to his feet and immediately shoved Jack into the side of his own desk. Ianto pressed himself into Jack's back and began to unfasten his flies. He shoved Jack's trousers down to his ankles and spit on his fingers so he could slide them inside of Jack's body. Ianto wanted to scream in frustration when Jack stopped him. For a few short moments he feared Jack wasn't going to let him go any further. Relief and understanding flooded Ianto when Jack produced the unopened bottle of lube from within a desk drawer. Ianto took the bottle and generously coated his fingers with the gel before sliding them into the heat of Jack's body. The response he received was enthusiastic and Ianto felt like he was on fire. He freed himself from his own trousers and slid himself into Jack's body in what he knew what a rough manner but he couldn't help himself know. Jack didn't help matters when he groaned loudly as Ianto filled him.

He put a hand between Jack's shoulders and shoved him face down on the desk. Ianto felt himself slamming mercilessly into Jack's body. He was so close, almost ashamed that he had gotten so close so quickly. Just a few more hard thrusts and Ianto came. He came hard and deep inside of Jack, feeling all of his pain and shame and frustration and guilt pour out of him and into Jack's body.

Ianto was immediately ashamed. He was mortified at what he'd just done to Jack. Ianto had just sucked his Captain off without first saying a word and then he'd screwed him up against the side of his desk like he was nothing. It was wrong. Ianto realized he couldn't face Jack. There would be questions and recriminations and he just couldn't deal with that right now. Ianto tucked himself back into his trousers and ran for the door without a backward glance. He had been so sure Jack wouldn't ever want to be with him again after this and that had bothered Ianto more than it should.

~*~

The day Gwen Cooper followed them to the hub, Ianto dropped the team at the lift and drove off to park the SUV. Jack had instructed him to go slowly, keeping her in sight while they disappeared on the lift. Once Tosh was below, able to monitor CCTV again, Ianto was relieved from that duty and parked the SUV. Something told Jack they hadn't seen the last of PC Cooper and tasked Ianto with monitoring her comings and goings. That was how they knew to watch her when she arrived on the Plaas late the next night.

When Jack ended up dosing Gwen with Retcon, he called Ianto on the comm to monitor her progress back home. He really didn't want any harm to come to the tenacious P.C. Ianto had just finished clearing her computer of all mentions of Torchwood when Jack arrived back at the hub. It seemed Ianto was making as if to leave for the evening, but not as if he was in a hurry to do so. Jack pressed into Ianto's space and Ianto didn't retreat. Jack leaned down to press a kiss to Ianto's neck and felt the other man press their hips together. Later, Ianto didn't make as if to leave Jack's bed. Still, Jack didn't take his arm from around Ianto's waist. He didn't dare admit to himself, let alone Ianto, that he was growing very fond of having him around. It didn't matter anyway because when the Doctor returned, grass wasn't going to grow beneath Jack's feet.

Following Jack's orders, Ianto dropped the team at the invisible lift and drove off slowly to park the SUV while keeping P.C. Gwen Cooper in view. When Tosh's voice filled his ear saying she was at her station and could take over surveillance, Ianto went to park. Jack didn't seem to think they'd seen the last of P.C. Cooper and tasked Ianto with monitoring her electronically. It turned out Jack's instincts were spot on when Ianto watched her reach the Plaas late the next night. He watched her wander around the water tower for hours before she finally made her move. Driven and tenacious, this one was. Clever, too. When she exited Jubilee Pizza with two pies, Jack ordered Ianto to let her into the hub when she arrived. He had to admit, it was fun messing with her. Her expressions were priceless.

Ianto had just finished wiping Gwen's computer of all references to anything Torchwood when Jack arrived back at the hub. He really had no reason to linger any longer. All his tasks were completed, Lisa had been seen to while Jack had been out with Gwen. Things hadn't been the least bit uncomfortable around Jack after that strange night Ianto had pinned him against his own desk. Ianto had to wonder if that meant Jack might be up for some company.

He had his answer when Jack pressed into his space. Ianto felt Jack's lips on his neck at the same time their hips pressed together. Jack issued his invitation to stay without using words and Ianto answered without words as well when he kissed Jack passionately. Later that night, Ianto didn't even consider trying to leave Jack's bed. Even if he had wanted to, the arm that Jack never removed from around his waist told him he was wanted right where he was for the night. Ianto refused to consider just how much he'd come to enjoy being in Jack's company and sleeping next to his warm body.

~*~

The first time Jack realized he might actually have come to depend on Ianto was the night Suzie's body disappeared from the Plaas and appeared miraculously in the morgue. He knew Ianto was serious about caring for the dead of Torchwood, whatever the circumstances. Jack just hadn't anticipated the quiet efficiency with which Ianto had cleaned up the mess. He left Jack with only the responsibility of closing Suzie's drawer. Jack was more grateful to Ianto than he could express. The fact that he hadn't even tried to express it probably contributed to the problems that would come later. That night, Jack chose to overlook the look of haunted desolation evident in Ianto's eyes.

~*~

Ianto watched the confrontation between Gwen and Suzie on CCTV until Jack ordered him to shut if off, then locked it with his own code. Ianto never did come to understand why. He sat in Jack's office and waited for the outcome. Surely Jack would be okay. He'd faced down worse threats than an unbalanced woman with a gun. When finally Jack came back down the lift with a near hysterical Gwen in his arms, Ianto breathed a deep sigh of relief but let nothing show on his face. He wanted to go to Jack, touch him, reassure himself Jack was okay. Ianto wanted to kiss away the pain and regret he saw in Jack's eyes. He knew he couldn't do that. Not until the mess was cleaned up and they were alone anyway.

Ianto allowed himself a mental sigh of relief now that he knew what Suzie's secret had been for all of those months. And now she was gone, he was out from under her scrutiny and her animosity and Lisa remained undiscovered.

While Jack saw to the living Gwen Cooper, Ianto saw to the dead Suzie Costello. He tried not to think of the flames and screams as he slid Suzie into a body bag. He pushed aside the memories of dragging the partially converted Lisa through the fire as he cleaned up the blood from the ground by the lift. Ianto took Suzie's body down the lift where Owen helped him carry her into Autopsy. Ianto cleaned her up and slid her freshly re-bagged body into the lift beneath the Autopsy stairs. He muscled her into her drawer but left it unsealed. He left that for Jack to do.

Ianto waited for Jack in his office. The flashing memories of Canary Wharf had him afraid to be alone that night. He needed a distraction. Damn it all but he needed Jack. It didn't matter that Jack expressed no word of thanks for all Ianto had done for him and for Suzie that night. It didn't matter that Jack didn't recognize that it had all been done without his having to order it. It only mattered that Jack let Ianto be distracted that night.

~*~

Gwen Cooper was a breath of fresh air in their underground lair. She had never known Torchwood without Ianto so never thought to treat him with anything other than respect and affection. For a few brief weeks, Jack's time with Ianto seemed to be almost light of heart. That shifting look always lurking behind Ianto's eyes seemed to recede just slightly. What was still visible, Jack chose to ignore.

Jack knew right way that Ianto sensed that there was a sexual tension between Jack and Gwen and when he would have pulled back, Jack pulled him closer. He realized he was going to have to tread carefully with Gwen when she kissed him over the inert form of Carys. In that moment, Jack realized that even if Ianto hadn't come into his life, Gwen would still have been an impossibility. Whereas Ianto saw Jack for who he really is, faults, weaknesses and all; Gwen saw only what she wanted to, and that was a hero. Jack didn't want to dwell on the consequences of his clay feet finally showing themselves to her.

Still, it was a relief having at least one person who knew the secret about Jack's dying, or lack thereof. It would all be irrelevant, though, when Jack finally left with the Doctor.

It took Jack a while to convince Ianto to wait for him in his quarters while he gave Gwen firearms instruction. It was more pleasant than Jack wanted to admit to have the company of a warm body and intelligent conversation as soon as Gwen left and the hub was quiet. It was all he could do not to smile broadly and tell her, hell no, he wasn't lonely at night any longer. He had Ianto to loose himself in.

~*~

The addition of Gwen and the loss of Suzie changed the dynamic in the hub drastically. For the better, Ianto thought. She had a good, kind heart and showed Ianto appreciation for all he did. She'd never known Torchwood without him so never thought that he might not belong. The way she looked at Jack made Ianto a little wary, though. It was like she didn't see the Captain clearly, but instead saw something she thought was there. Still, it wasn't really any of his concern; Jack was a big boy, surely accustomed to dealing with crushes from young women. Ianto's heart sank at this thought. Jack was surely just as adept at dealing with crushes from even younger men. Perhaps now was the time to start distancing himself from Jack. He couldn't afford for some sort of twisted triangle to cause Lisa to be discovered, no matter how much he'd come to enjoy Jack's company. He would clear the path for Gwen.

Turned out Jack had other ideas. He completely thwarted Ianto's attempts to put distance between them. Each time he started to head for his flat at the end of a long night Jack openly enticed him to stay. Each and every evening, Jack pushed Gwen out the door and home to her boyfriend. There was no question where his interest lay and it showed no signs of shifting anytime soon. As heartened as Ianto was by this, he was equally distraught. Lisa was still in the basement waiting for Ianto to find a cure and if Jack found out before he accomplished that…he didn't want to contemplate. It hurt him more than he wanted to admit that every day that went by that Ianto kept his secret was a day he betrayed Jack yet again.

~*~

Jack could have handled the emotional aftermath of Gwen accidentally killing someone on his own. He'd done it before. Someday he'd have to do it again. Still, Jack took for granted that Ianto appeared out of the dark to deal with the body. He refused to acknowledge on any level the comfort Ianto gave him by staying that night, by not going home but instead letting Jack distract himself inside his body.

~*~

Once again Ianto found himself cleaning up in the aftermath of Torchwood while Jack saw to the emotional needs of Gwen Cooper. Again he had to face the memories of the flames and the screams alone while Gwen cried on Jack's shoulder. Gwen had been somewhat responsible for this mess that Ianto was cleaning up and still she was receiving comfort and reassurance. Ianto had been in no way responsible for the carnage of Canary Wharf and yet no one, not a single solitary soul had reached out to him. He'd received no help, no understanding and no comfort. They all knew what he'd gone through and not a single one of them ever asked after him. They showed no interest in his life or his feelings. That included Jack. All the times Jack had taken Ianto into his bed he'd not asked a single question. No questions about Ianto's life in London, about Lisa, or even about his life here in Cardiff.

Looking back, Jack had ample opportunity to delve into what lingered behind Ianto's eyes. He'd been handed chance after chance to ask the questions, listen to the softly spoken words, and acknowledge the value Ianto had to him and to Torchwood. He'd abandoned Ianto as surely as Ianto had betrayed him. Jack had to wonder at what point he could have stopped it from happening. Was it too late when Ianto had to clean Suzie's blood and brains from the Plaas? Or had he still had a chance if he'd met Ianto's eyes on their way out of the hub that fateful night, instead of just tossing him the basketball and walking on by.

~*~

Ianto's stomach was in knots the night Dr. Tanizaki came to the hub to finally begin work on curing Lisa. He could hardly wait until the team left for the evening. It was all coming to an end one way or another tonight. Lisa would either be cured, or dead. Ianto was hoping for the former, wasn't he? Lisa needed to be cured. This had to be the reason Ianto had been spared at Canary Wharf. He couldn't have survived while all the others had died unless he was meant for something. Finding Lisa a cure had to be it, didn't it?

The cog door rolled back to reveal the team playing a strange version of two-on-two basketball that involved the pterodactyl and Owen running around on the catwalk. Ianto was having serious second thoughts as he watched them play. There was still time to call a halt or, to confess all, he realized as he watched Jack physically pick Gwen up and move her out of his way. They all ignored him. Ianto stood in the doorway as they ended the game and began to leave the hub. Each one passed by him without a glance or a word. That included Jack. Ianto knew Jack wasn't going to acknowledge him. Jack was too discreet for that, in spite of what the team thought. And yet, had he just smiled at Ianto as he'd tossed him the ball…

 

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